KOA Radio Interview

Aaron Negherbon:

Hi, it’s Aaron Negherbon, the founder and executive director of Cops Direct. This is a recording of an interview that we did earlier today with KOA Radio out of Denver, Colorado. Marty Lenz is the host and is a great supporter of ours. We’re talking about the Cops Direct donation of a $70,000 EMMETT training mannequin to the Greater Denver Areas police departments, over 90 in all. Should the need ever arise, this training device will enable our law enforcement officers to save lives. Enjoy the interview.

Marty Lenz:

Now on Colorado’s morning news. In an emergency situation, police officers are often the first responders on the scene. And whether after a life-threatening traffic collision or violent act, the moments between saving a life and the alternative rest in those officers’ hands. Cops Direct is a nonprofit that hopes to bridge this gap and provide police departments across the country with life-saving supplies and training that officers need to help save that life. On with us now is Cops Direct founder, that’s Aaron Negherbon. Aaron, thanks so much for coming on with us this morning.

Aaron Negherbon:

Hi, Marty. Thanks for having us.

Marty Lenz:

First off, talk about your organization. What was the impetus and the inspiration behind it?

Aaron Negherbon:

Well, Cops Direct is the only nonprofit organization of its type. And we are coast to coast. And since I founded it in 2016, we have supported law enforcement agencies in over 32 states with the first responder trauma care that they need to save lives, whether it be their own or an innocent civilian when moments matter. The national average for EMS response is over 15 minutes. So in those immediate seconds when something bad happens, that’s when the law enforcement officer has to step in to safe lives. And I said we need to do everything we can to help them out.

Marty Lenz:

I am astounded. You and I have talked off the air about this and you showed me some of the technology involved with this, but the training and the technology regarding this, it is truly lifelike and life simulating. And I’m not saying that facetiously, it is unreal that the training that these officers can get, and it really is making a difference.

Aaron Negherbon:

Yes. So we were in the Denver area a couple months ago. We provided the Greater Denver Regions, 90 departments with $70,000 training mannequins, a donation from us to those departments that they can use to literally practice any life-saving situation that would be needed when seconds count. And it’s literally a living, breathing robot almost. And on our social media pages, we have pictures up there. But every department’s different. We just did all of Boise, Idaho, and they didn’t need that. They needed individual medical kits for every single officer and every single police car because they didn’t have it. That’s what we’re doing coast to coast across every possible state is helping cops save lives. Marty, we have all the school shootings and stuff right now, it’s so horrible, and these parades and all that. That’s the perfect example of where officers need to be able to have that training and that support. That’s what we’re all about.

Marty Lenz:

Are you surprised that that gap exists already?

Aaron Negherbon:

It’s absolutely horrible. We should be outraged. We hear about defund the police and all this stuff and people cursing at law enforcement. They are the first people out there to save lives. We should be funding the police, especially in the areas where they can save a life. What better way to spend money on law enforcement, but then to help them save lives? And that’s what we’re doing every single day.

Marty Lenz:

When you look at their partners that are EMTs and in the fire realm, that those that are the life savers, if you will, at least trying to resuscitate people, I imagine they’ve got to be thrilled about this gap being filled as well, to helping them out when they get on the scene.

Aaron Negherbon:

You’d be shocked to know how many fire departments and EMS agencies are not in sync with the police departments. I was talking to an agency actually yesterday. We’re based in California. I was talking to a local agency. And there is no firm set in stone plan. So you’re absolutely right. The firefighters and EMTs out there love knowing that the cops have this equipment, so that when everything bad is going on, there is someone in the line of fire that’s out there saving a life. And we’ve gotten stories, Marty. It’s bad to say, but these cops are coming back to us and saying, “We saved the life of a little girl. We saved the life of someone who’s in diabetic shock, who was missing for two days. We saved people during a shooting.” We hear it every day because of what we are able to provide when the local governments and the budgets just can’t do it.

Marty Lenz:

On that note, sadly, these things aren’t free. And a lot of these police budgets probably don’t have this. How can people help? I’m assuming you take donations. Where can they go to support your efforts here?

Aaron Negherbon:

We are powered exclusively by the generosity of Americans. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit donations or tax deductible. I would ask anybody listening to this, to go to copsdirect.org and make a tax deductible donation. It could wind up in Denver. It could wind up in Duluth. It could wind up in Delray Beach, Florida. But there are law enforcement officers every day stepping out to serve our nation, just like our service members overseas. It’s our cops here at home that are working to defend our good people. So copsdirect.org. There, you can learn how to mail in a check or make a donation online. It all matters. And Marty, we have over $100,000 of orders that we are just sitting on right now, waiting for the funding to make happen.

Marty Lenz:

And I know the Thornton Police Department loves you guys. So good work there.

Aaron Negherbon:

Yeah. Thanks very much. They’re great people also. But we [inaudible 00:05:36] there and trained over 90 departments. And I will say this in closing, the law enforcement officers who had seen it all and gone through every training were in awe of what this was going to be able to do for them. One cop came up to me and says… He shook my hand, he said, “This is going to save lives around here.”

Marty Lenz:

Copsdirect.org. It is Cops Direct founder, Aaron Negherbon. Thank you, Aaron.

Aaron Negherbon:

Marty, thanks so much.